Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to footer content
Student Accessibility Services

For Faculty

The Office of Student Accessibility Services is a resource for faculty as well! If you have questions about an academic accommodation, have a student who may need accommodations, or have another concern, we are a great place to begin! 

Feel free to contact accessibility@iwu.edu with any questions or concerns you may have. 

Suggested Syllabus Language

Please consider using the following langauge in your syllabus: 

Illinois Wesleyan University strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on a disability (including mental health and chronic ortemporary medical conditions), it is your responsibility to self-disclose and provide documentation to the Office of Student Accessibility Services. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive and accommodations cannot be provided until course faculty receive an email from Student Accessibility Services. Once the email is sent, please make arrangements as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations confidentially so they may be implemented in a timely fashion. For more information contact Student Accessibility Services by e-mailing accessibility@iwu.edu or stopping by their office in Holmes Hall.

Proctoring Services

Please review accommodation notices for the up-to-date Test Proctoring Policy. Students are responsible for initiating this process. If you know students will need to use the University Testing Center for your class to use their accommodations, please communicate that to the student at the beginning of the course. 

Academic Accommodations vs. Academic Courtesy Arrangements

Occasionally, professors may be asked to make a courtesy arrangement with a student for something that seems like an accommodation (such as extended time on testing, use of a reader, modified attendance, etc.).  Unlike accommodations, arrangements are class specific, can be taken away at any time, and are not required under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or by the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

These are not accommodations based on the current documentation from the student, but the student may be starting the interactive process to get an accommodation, waiting on appointment to get necessary testing for documentation, or may have a short-term need. Even if a request is made for an academic arrangement, professors do not have to grant approval if the request is something that would fundamentally alter the class or not promote equity in learning. 

Common Academic Courtesy Arrangements include: 

  • allowing a student to remotely join class or receive lecture recordings*
  • allowing a student to submit an assignment late
  • allowing a student additional time on an exam

*Long term (more than 2 week) remote arrangments must be reported to the registrar's office as this can affect reporting for Title IV Funding. 

Professors should create courtesy arrangements with students without the input of the Office of Student Accessibility Services. Please refer to these arrangements as courtesy arrangements and not academic accommodations.

Accessible Formats

Students may have an accommodation for accessible text formats due to a print, learning, or vision disability. If you have a student in your class with this accommodation, you will be notified at the beginning of the term. You may be contacted by Student Accessibility Services about making sure your documents are accessible; if they are not, we will help you make all of them accessible. Here are some quick guidelines on making common class materials more accessible: 

  • Do not used scanned image PDFs in your class content. You can check this by trying to select text within the PDF. If the entire page highlights, it is not accessible and is an image. Instead, use a web page or word document. If you have an inaccessible PDF for a class, please let us know! We'll help you get it remediated. 
  • Many common content products have accessibility guides and checks built in that can catch spots where content is inaccessible: 
  • If you will be using a lot of charts, tables, or other graphics, please let us know. We'll help you get things set up appropriately. 
  • Consider using open source textbooks when possible. These books are designed with accessibility in mind. 

Notetaking Accommodations

Students may have a notetaking accommodation for a physical, learning, auditory, or visual disability. Students have the option of the following things when approved for a notetaking accommodation: 

  • Recording class lectures
  • Using an Echo SmartPen or other form of technology (like a tablet) to record lectures in sync with their notes
  • Taking notes on a computer instead of handwriting

You may be asked to provide copies of powerpoints/handouts in advance; if you think this would not be appropriate for you class, please contact us.

If you have issues with a student using a particular method in your class, please let us know. We can help communicate this to students and come up with alternative supports.